A three-year-old diabetic girl who needs her mum to administer up to 10 insulin injections a day has been denied a primary school place near her home because the application went in a day late.

Jamie-Leigh Cheshire was in hospital with a broken arm when the deadline hit for submitting preferences, prompting a delay in her mum Kirsty Smewing putting in the bid.

Miss Smewing, a full-time single mum from Hinckley who doesn’t drive, highlighted only one school, Battling Brook Primary, as Jamie-Leigh already attends the nursery, it is close to their home and she can be on scene in minutes if Jamie-Leigh needs an injection or is feeling unwell.

Despite explaining the reasons for the late submission and offering a supporting letter from Jamie-Leigh’s hospital consultant, Miss Smewing says Leicestershire County Council education officers told her there was no place at Battling Brook for her daughter.

And while they explained she had the right to appeal she was informed there were 18 other cases ahead of hers.

The 25-year-old is beside herself with worry about her daughter’s future, both in terms of education and health.

“I need to be able to reach Jamie-Leigh quickly,” said Miss Smewing, “which is why I requested Battling Brook. She had not been well for months but was only diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September so this is all still quite new and she is unstable. If her blood sugar rises and she doesn’t get an injection quickly enough she could go into a diabetic coma, her life could be in danger.

“She also has an auto-immune disease which is part of the diabetes and means she is succeptible to picking up infections. She is only three and all of this is very distressing for her, she is starting to get a needle-phobia and her condition means she gets tired easily and struggles to walk. The nursery is only round the corner from our home but often she has a hard time making it that far.

“I realise I missed the deadline for applications but things have been very stressful. Jamie-Leigh had only just recovered from a bout of scarlet fever and then had to go to hospital with a broken arm so quite honestly paperwork was at the back of my mind.

“Jamie-Leigh came out of hospital on January 16 at which point the school application went in, I didn’t realise it was a day late.”

Unless the county council do a U-turn Miss Smewing is looking at what she feels are two equally unfeasible options for Jamie-Leigh’s foundation education, either home-schooling or accepting a place miles away.

“I don’t think I could manage home-schooling and it is difficult to see how putting Jamie-Leigh in a school up to 40 minutes drive away is going to work because I don’t drive.

“The staff at Battling Brook nursery have been really supportive with her illness and even her friends - who are all going up to the primary school - are aware of her condition and recognise if she is feeling poorly.

“The staff have been helping with doing her finger-prick blood checks but obviously are nervous about the injections which they leave to me.

“I had already talked with the primary school staff and they were all prepared to help out more as Jamie-Leigh would be in for more hours but as her mum I need to be close to her so I can be there if anything goes wrong.”

After contacting Leicestershire County Council a spokesman told The Hinckley Times: “Securing a school place can be an anxious time for parents, especially for children who need medical care and we understand Kirsty’s concern.

“Parents could apply between June 1 2013 and January 15 2014 but unfortunately this request was received a day late. There could be extenutating circumstances so we would strongly encourage Kirsty to contact us so we can discuss her right to an appeal and place on the waiting list.”